Improvement in horse-rakes



Z'Sheets-fSheetl.

A.R1CKART.

HORSE-RARE.

Patented FHL-22,1876.'

N. PETERS. PHOTO-L'YHOGRAPHER. wASHlNGToN, D C.

.Ekel

` in Figs. l and 2.

NITED SierrasI PATENT OFFICE.-

ALEXANDER RICKART, OFSCHOHARIE, NEW YORK.l

IMPROVEMENT |N4 House-RAKES..

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 74,006, datedFebruary 22, v12576; application filed December s, 1875. Y

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER RICKART,

uof Schoharie Court-House, Schoharie county,

State of New York, have invented Improvements in Hayakes 5 and I dohereby'declare that the following is Va full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

My invention relates more particularly to that class of hay-rakes drawnby animals, which dump their load automatically when the dumpingmechanism is set in train; but it is in part applicable to other rakes..It consists in combinations of devices which not only effect the dumpingof the load gathered by the rake, but also cause the weight of the rideror driver, who sits upon the seat of the to assist the animal that drawsthe rake at the moment of raising the rake-teeth. It consists, further,in a peculiar method of attaching the rake-teeth to the axle-tree ofthe` wheels which support and carry the other parts. i

Figure l is a rear view of a rake constructed to carry out my invention.Fig.2`is atop view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section made at right anglewith the axle-tree, on the linea* a: Fig. 4 is a section made at a rightangle with the axle-tree, and ou the line y y, Figs. l and 2. Fig. 5 isa sectional detail, the section being made on the same line as thatshown in Fig. 4..

`Similar letters refer to like parts in all the engravings. v

The axle-tree A is made of metal tubingof suitable length and diameter.In this tube are drilled radially pairs of holes 7L IL', the holes ineach pair being preferably somewhat less 4than one hundred and eightydegrees asunder, these holes being for the reception of the rake-teetht. The rake-teeth tare made of round metal lbars or wire of suitablediameter, and bent into the general form shown in all the iigures,butmore minutely in Fig. 3. Their upper ends are screw-threaded to.receive nuts a. On the rear part ot' the axletree are placedbrace-plates p, preferably, but not necessarily, made detachable fromthe axle-tree. On the lower parts of the-se plates are formed lugs l,and inthe lugs lare formed slots s, through which the recurved parts ofthe raketceth t, respectively, pass when the the teeth t when passingover small obstructions.

The teeth t having been placed in the holes 7L h', as shown in Fig. 3,the slots s in the lugs lof the brace-plates p are slipped over thelower points of the teeth t, and brought up to their places against theaxle-tree, when the upper ends of the rake-teeth, respectively areinserted in the holes h" It, and the nuts n being then screwed upon theupper ends of the teeth t, both the brace-plates p and the teeth will befirmly attached to the axle-tree. The brace-plates slotted lugs, l, andtwo holes, h, at the top, that each may embrace two teeth,ft, but I donot limit myself to this number.

: To the axle-tree A are rigidly attached, by welding or any othersuitable means, the eollars c c and the arms a a. The collars c .are

placed flush against the inner flat sides'ofthe 'Y arms a, andthe outerflat sides of the arms a abut against the inner ends of the hubs H ofthe wheels W, which abutment, acting in antagonism to the linchpins p',serves to hold the wheel in proper position upon the axle-tree. "Y

The wheels W may be of ordinary or anyother approved construction. withsuitable bearings bat the top to aid in the support of a rock-shaft, r,which has at each extremity a crank, c. To each crankwrist is pivoted abrakeshoe, B, which, when actuated through the rock-shaft, is pressediirmly down upon the top of the inner end of the hub of the wheel nextto it. The arms a' are separated on the axle-tree by the collar c', andthey have termed at their tops notched bearings b', or other suitablebearings, which support and steady the middle of the roekshaftr.`Between the two arms a is rigidly attached to the rock-shaft alever-arm, c, pivoted to and connected by a rod, fr', with theelbow-lever Z and a pivot,lp. The shafts S encircle the axle-tree attheir rear ends, so as to form bands b" for their attachment 5 or theare preferably made with two The arms a are made shafts may be attachedto the axle-tree in any way that will not interfere with the free rotarymovement of the shaft with the hubs H of the wheels W, when thebrake-shoes B are pressed against the hubs. Near the attachment of theshafts S to the axle-treeA is bolted to the shafts S the berB, to whichare attached, in the ordinary manner, the clearing-rods r.

`To a suitable frame-work, F, connecting the shafts S, is affixed thestandard of the drivers seat S and a support,.S, for the elbow-lever Z,which is pivoted to the support S by the pivot p. The elbow-lever hasits rear extremity pivoted to the connecting-rod r', and its upper andforward arm has at the top a footpiece, f, to receive the pressure ofthe operators foot,- as hereinafter described. The elbowlever L has twoholes, h and 10, for the reception, respectively, of the pivot p", eachof which adjustments permits the mechanism to perform a differentfunction, as hereinafter described. L is a link, having its upper endloosely attached to the rock-shaft r and its lower end hanging looselythrough a slot, s", in the frame-work F.- The body of the link L isperforated at intervals to receive a pin, 19', by which arrangement theteeth of the rake may be set so that their points shall stand at anydesired distance from the ground in raking over grain, stubble, Sto., aswill hereinafter be described. There is also rigidly attached to therock-shaft, at one side of the pair of arms c, a hand-lever, l, by whichthe rocking of the shaft can be effected, as herein described.

The operation of the rake is as follows, assuming the rake to bedrawn byan animal between the shafts, driven by a driver seated on the seat S:

When the teeth t have 'gathered a sufficient quantity of hay or grain todeposit it in a windrow the driver presses his foot on the footpiece ofthe elbow-lever l. This, through the connecting-rod 1", draws forwardthe lower end of the lever arm a, and rocks the rock-shaft backward,depressing the wrists of the cranks c, and pressing down upon theextreme surY face of the innerends of the hubs H the brakeshoes B. Thebrake-shoes thus become movable fnlcra, which, through the medium of thecranks c" and the arms a, raise and support brieiiy all the weight of'the axle-tree A, and the parts supported by the axle-tree, except thecomparatively small weight supported by the animal through vthe mediumof the shafts S. As the animal now draws the machine forward, thebrake-shoesl B move forward by a rotary motion, with the exterior of thehubs, throwing the center of the support forward of the center ofrotation, thus utilizih g the weight of the parts in front of theaxle-tree, together with the weight of the driver, to counterpoise, moreor less, the weight of the parts behind the axle-tree, as wellas theload of hay or grain accumulated. In the absence of this lever-arm a,

connterpoising action the power necessary to elevate the teeth anddischarge the load would necessarily be derived wholly from the animalduring the time of elevation and discharg e. Moreover, thiscounterpoising action enables the teeth of therake to be lightly droppedto their first position with very slight exertion on the part of thedriver. With rakes whose dumping devices are actuated with ratchet andpawl, backing is prevented. This inconvenience is vobviated by the useof the brakeshoes. The hand-lever l may be used to raise the teeth anddischarge their load independently of the automatic train of deviceswhen required.

By placing the pivotp in the hole h" of the elbow-lever l the pivot 19,which con-A nects the connecting-rod r with the elbowlever t', falls byits own gravity lower than the line joining the pivot pm in thelever-arm a" and the pivot p" in the elbow-lever support. The tendencyof the'teeth to -rise and deliver their load is, therefore, resisted inthis position; neither can the teeth be raised by the use of thehand-lever Z. This adjustment,

which, in no wise, interferes with the dumping of the load when thedumping mechanism is set in action by the pressure of the foot upon thefoot-piece f of the elbow-lever l, is of great use yand convenience'inraking over smooth ground.

' By placing the pivotp" in the hole h, the pivot pm is brought abovethe line of centers joining the pivot 11 in the lever-arm c and thepivot p in the elbow-lever support S. The mechanism does not then resistthe rising of the teeth, but leaves them free to rise and pass over anyobstruction they may meet in raking over rough ground.

I claim- 1. The combination of the hollow axle A, provided with theholes h h', the teeth t, constructed and inserted through the saidholes, as described, the slotted brace-plates p, and the nuts n,substantially as herein set forth.

2. The brake-shoes B, in combination with the rock-shaft r, having thecranks o, as described, the wheels W, the arms a and a', and theaxletree A, whereby the weight of all the parts, except the wheels, isprincipally thrown upon the exterior surface of the hubs H,substantially as herein set forth.

3. The lever l', the connecting-rod r', and

shaft T, the brakeshoes B, the arms t and a', the axle-tree A, and thewheels W, substantially as herein set forth.

4. The perforated link, in combination with the rock-shaft r, the arms aand a', the axletree A, and frame F, and pin pm', substantially as andfor the purpose herein described.

ALEXANDER RLGKART. Witnesses:

JOHN G. GERHARD, GHAs. BREwsrER.

in combination with the rock-v

